I have been a member of the ASWM for over 10 years as a representative of a state agency. Over this time, I have personally observed and been involved with the outreach, coordination, and education efforts of the ASWM. They have been instrumental in assisting states and tribels improve wetlands and water quality protection programs. I have learned and applied considerable information obtained through conversations with other state and tribal representatives during ASWMD conferences and hosted training events. The ASWM is on the cutting edge of what is happening in the field of wetlands and water quality legislation, regulation, and litigation. They also instrumental in assisting states and tribes to coordinate on a variety of issues, ranging from reviewing Corps of Engineers Nationwide Rermits to partnering with NGOs to increase the public's awareness of the importance of wetlands and to developing new and inovative ways to enhance, restore, and protect them.
I was hired as my state's first Wetland Program Coordinator 15 years ago and thankfully found the Association of State Wetland Managers early on in my wetland career. The professional expetise ASWM provides to state, tribes, and others has made all the difference in helping me to develop an award winning state wetland program (Environmental Law Institute Award for Wetland Program Development 2007). What I really appreciate about ASWM is their leadership putting on webinars and conferece calls, writing technical and policy papers, and coordination with others states on pertinent issues facing wetland management and protection. The information is accurate and timely and their website is loaded with valuable resources. Executive Director, Jeanne Christie has been great to work with and has provided tailored and practical assistance to evaluate our state's statues, rules and practices and worked with me to developed recommendations to advance wetland and riparian protection. As Siskel and Ebert say, ASWM gets "Two Thumbs Up"!
As an environmental professional who has worked in the wetland policy arena for many years, I have witnessed first-hand the importance of the work done by the Association of State Wetland Managers (ASWM). ASWM serves a critical role in the wetland community as a clearinghouse of cutting-edge wetland science and policy information. Additionally, ASWM bridges the chasm between state and federal wetland managers and facilitates much-needed dialog between the two. I highly support the work done by the Association, and consider their work to be highly ethical.